El Monte, CA
Is a metal roof worth it here?
A metal roof costs roughly double a shingle roof and lasts roughly three times as long. Whether that is a good trade depends entirely on how long you are staying.
Describe the metal roofing job
Three questions, then the address. Up to three El Monte contractors who do this work.
You are on the list.
No provider in El Monte is taking requests through this service yet. We are lining them up, and yours is kept until one can.
- Nobody gets your details yet. Your request stays with us and is not passed to any company.
- One email when someone can help. When a provider covering your area can take it on, we email you once and ask whether you want that company, by name, to contact you.
- Deleted after 90 days. If nobody can take it on, or you do not say yes, your contact details are deleted 90 days after your request.
- You decide, or you do not. There is nothing to cancel and nothing to pay us.
Nobody will call you about this request unless you say yes to a company by name.
Before you let anybody on the roof
The things worth pinning down on a metal roofing job. A contractor who has not raised them has not looked properly.
- Whether the crew installs metal regularly or occasionally
- How valleys, ridges and penetrations are detailed
- Panel gauge and the coating warranty
- Standing seam or exposed fastener, and why
- How the panels are allowed to expand and contract
Ask to see a standing-seam job they finished more than three years ago. The edges and the valleys will tell you everything.
Standing seam hides its fasteners under the seam. Exposed-fastener panel is cheaper and relies on hundreds of neoprene washers that have to be revisited every decade or so.
A light-coloured metal roof reflects a serious amount of heat, which shows up on a summer power bill in hot climates.
Locally
Then, less dramatically: ember intrusion through vents and open eaves. Most houses lost to wildfire are lost to embers arriving ahead of the fire, not to the fire itself.
About metal roofing here
Should I repair or replace?
Rough rule: if the covering has more than about five years left and the damage is confined to one area, repair. If it is at the end of its life or you are patching the third leak in two years, you are paying instalments on a replacement.
What warranty should I expect?
Two separate things. The manufacturer covers the material for its rated life, but only if it was installed to their specification. The contractor covers workmanship, commonly five to ten years, and only for as long as they are trading.
How much deposit is normal?
A third at most, and never the full amount. Pay the balance when the job is finished and you have walked it. Some states cap the deposit by law.
Can I stay in the house while it is done?
Most people do. Expect noise from early morning, dust in the attic, and a day where the driveway belongs to the crew.
What is it going to cost?
Free, no obligation, and your details go to no company until you say yes.